


A Proper Vacation

by trashassassin



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Honeymoon, Light Angst, Reader-Insert, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut, Travel, Vacation, Winter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-09-27 01:27:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17152733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashassassin/pseuds/trashassassin
Summary: You and Leon head off on your honeymoon, but hit a few unfortunate snags along the way.





	1. Then and Now

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MissYunie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissYunie/gifts).



> This is the start of my brand new, overly realistic honeymoon series, staring Leon S. Kennedy and you! I was a bit concerned at first that the concept was boring, but in my opinion, there's something uniquely immersive about a super realistic story and I feel that the tone is appropriate for the character.
> 
> This is a gift for my good friend and fellow Leon enthusiast, MissYunie, so a very Merry, Leon-filled Christmas to you!
> 
> Inspiration song: Lord Huron - The Night We Met

“How long has it been since you’ve had a proper vacation, really?”

Leon shrugged, not bothering to turn away from his current task, continuously smoothing out the same wrinkle on his shirt, to face you.

If you’d told him once, you’d told him a thousand times: that he needed to relax, to take some time for himself, to stop burning the candle at both ends day in and day out. And he was going to listen eventually. He had to.

“Uh, we went to New York City last year, remember?” he said.

“That doesn’t count. It was a day trip! We were back before midnight.”

“So?”

“ _So…_ ” You sighed, lifting yourself from the mattress you were currently lying upon to sit upright. “… what I’m trying to say is, nobody can be mad at you for taking two weeks off every ten years, or whatever.”

He shook his head, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“Well, neither of us can have a proper vacation unless you help me pack,” he said.

You rose to your feet with a huff and grabbed your suitcase, which was already half full of clothes, from the floor.

“I am packing,” you said. “I was just taking a little break.”

“There will be plenty of time for breaks once we reach the cabin.”

The cabin. _Your_ cabin. It was something he had owned for quite some time, but had never properly utilized.

“Honestly, you’re the only person I know who would ever feel guilty about taking time off for their own honeymoon,” you said.

“And yet, you decided to marry me anyway, for some reason.”

You grabbed hold of his shoulders and spun him around to face you, kissing him before he had a proper chance to react.

“Yeah, I did,” you said, and you bit your lip as your eyes travelled upward to meet his. “What the hell was I thinking, right?”

“Come on.” He redirected his attention back to his shirt, which he finally folded and packed away. “We have to be at the airport in twenty minutes.”

“Right,” you said, and you returned your attention back to your own packing.

Neither of you had planned on having to rush around so much, but the after party had extended quite a bit longer than you had expected, leaving you with just enough time to step inside and get ready to go. You didn’t even have the time to change out of your dress, a knee length purple cocktail dress that was decidedly too formal for the airport, but there was little that could be done to amend this now.

Once you were decently sure that you’d gathered up everything you’d need, you zipped up your suitcase and muscled it down the stairs to the door. It was when you went to put on a jacket that you realized you may have packed a bit too well.

All of your jackets were in your suitcase.

“Dammit,” you muttered.

“What is it?” Leon asked.

“I don’t have a jacket. I’m gonna have to unpack all my shit.”

“You can borrow one of mine.”

He withdrew one from a nearby closet and draped it over your shoulders like some sort of ill-fitted leather poncho.

“It’s a little big,” you said as you slipped your arms into the sleeves.

“You look cute.”

He ruffled your hair and it was then you realized that he was teasing you. Well, at least you wouldn’t be cold, you resigned as the two of you stepped out into the night.

“So, how long has it been since anyone’s been out to the cabin, anyway?” you asked as the two of you loaded into the car.

Leon waited a concerning amount of time before he answered.

“… A while,” he finally said. “There might be a few kinks we need to iron out before we can really settle in.”

“What sort of kinks?” you asked.

“Some cobwebs and dust. Maybe a few rats.”

“Rats?”

“Okay, probably not rats.”

“But maybe rats.”

He chuckled.

“It’s probably too cold for them in there,” he said. “The worst we’ll have to deal with is shoveling the walkways, most likely.”

You grimaced.

“Right away?” you asked.

“No time like the present,” he replied.

“Well, at present, I would like to take a nap.”

“And you can, if you feel like freezing your ass off while you wait for me to finish shoveling by myself.”

He turned toward you and smirked at you.

“Eyes on the road, Leon.”

He turned his gaze back out the windshield in compliance with your command.

“In all seriousness, I’m really excited to see it,” you said. “You never told me you had a vacation home.”

“I never had a reason to. Especially with how my work has been lately.”

He trailed off, his previously light-hearted expression beginning to fade.

“Well, you have a reason now,” you said. “And who knows? Maybe I can manage to convince you to go back someday.”

He didn’t respond, and instead continued to stare blankly out the windshield for a moment.

“I am a little more enthusiastic about it now that I have someone to share it with,” he finally said.

He turned and smiled at you just long enough that he was assured you wouldn’t scold him again.

The sight of it made your heart stutter. It suddenly became apparent just how long it had been since you’d seen him smile, truly and genuinely smile. You’d never seen him quite as happy as he had been over the course of the day, as happy as he still clearly was at the prospect of spending the next two weeks alone with you despite how outwardly resistant he seemed to the idea.

The snarky response you had been formulating evaporated and you sighed, your eyes locking onto his face, which had returned to a pleasant expression once again.

“What?” he asked.

“You,” you said. “You’re smiling again.”

He reached over and took your hand in his, caressing the back of it with his thumb.

“Well, now I have a reason to smile.”

It was as the airport came into view that the whole thing started to become a bit more real to you. You weren’t sure if you’d ever feel like a married woman, as the image that came into your head when you thought of such a thing involved old-fashioned dresses and vacuum cleaners.

But seeing the planes taking off overhead brought the trip you were about to take out of the concept phase.

You were headed out on your honeymoon, something you’d imagined many times, but never quite like this. Never so late at night, never involving rats or cobwebs, never involving the shoveling of snow. And certainly never with someone—

Your face flushed and you turned toward the window.

Never with someone as wonderful as Leon.

You’d always had a nebulous concept of the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, a faceless form that held the door for you and laughed at all your jokes, and shared at least a few of your hobbies.

It frightened you how quickly Leon had replaced the faceless form after you’d met him for the first time. You accepted the fact that you would never be able to explain the instinctual pull you’d always felt toward him, but you were grateful for it nonetheless. The life you shared thus far had been nothing at all like the concept you’d sometimes imagined, involving the two of you living out in the quiet countryside, following a normal schedule, being able to travel the world as you wished. And yet, somehow, the reality was still so much better than all that.

It was unique to the two of you, even with all of the difficulties that may have once seemed less than ideal on paper. And that was an aspect that could never be replaced no matter what.

The last time you’d set foot in the airport was not exactly a pleasant one. On the one hand, you could not have been more relieved that Leon had finally returned safely. But on the other, it was the first time you’d truly noticed a change in him. He refused to talk about it at first, but it eventually came out whether either of you wanted it or not. The events of his most recent mission had left a mark on him that was unlikely to ever truly fade.

It was a bit strange to return now with all of this still so fresh in your mind. The lack of a crowd made it even more unsettling, even if it did bode well for the expediency of your trip, and you felt the joy of the occasion slipping from your mind.

That was until Leon reclaimed your hand, drawing you back to the present moment. That was then and this was now. The time had come to make new memories that would drown out the old.

“You ready?” he asked, and you nodded, a smile spreading across your face.

“I wish I’d had time to get a nap in before we left,” you said.

“There’ll be plenty of time to sleep on the plane.”

“If only I could. You’ll have to tell me your secrets.”

“Practice, I guess.”

You shrugged. You’d always had difficulty sleeping in unfamiliar places and leisure activities like vacations were unfortunately not exempt from this.

But before you could even consider sleeping on the plane, you would have to make your way through security. Fortunately, this was an easier task than it typically was due to the lack of people present at such a late hour. Most of the other people you saw were either security guards or headed in the opposite direction, back toward the main door.

There were a total of three people in line for the security checkpoint, so you were able to make your way through quickly and without incident.

You had been assigned terminal D14 according to your ticket, which was close by, much to your relief, as you were getting quite tired of walking around in the heels that you had been wearing all evening.

You collapsed into the first chair you saw, allowing the carry-on bag you had previously held on your shoulder to slump to the floor, and Leon took the seat beside you.

“How about some coffee?” he said.

“Yeah, that might help.”

You could already feel your eyelids drooping as you watched him walk back toward the little coffee shop you’d passed on your way to the terminal. Perhaps you would be able to sleep after all, given the exhausting day you’d had. Enjoyable, but exhausting.

He returned a few moments later with two cups of coffee in hand, standard black coffee with cream, you found as you took a sip.

It warmed you instantly, a welcome sensation after you'd had to brave the cold to carry in your suitcases.

“Are you hungry?” Leon asked.

“Are you kidding? Not after all that food we ate today.”

He chuckled.

“The food here is always overpriced, anyway.”

The longer you sat in the terminal, the more people that began to pour in, most of whom looked just as exhausted as you were, clearly ready to be done with the whole affair.

And that conclusion would come sooner rather than later as the attendant at the terminal gave the boarding call. At last. Perhaps you would be able to get a break for the first time that day.

You were two of the last people to board seeing as your seats were located near the very back of the plane. Leon had discussed this with you time and time again when booking the flight, making tripley sure that you wouldn’t be disappointed if he didn’t put you in first class. And each time, you assured him that you wouldn’t be.

It wasn’t that he was unable or unwilling to afford it; he simply felt that such frivolous spending was unnecessary. The plane trip was a means to an end, an unpleasant in-between, the money for which was better spent on the experiences you were about to have together.

This was something you’d always admired about him. No matter how much money or status he earned, he’d always managed to remain humble.

As you located your seats, a new sensation began to overtake you, replacing any tiredness that had once been there: panic. Perhaps your inability to sleep on planes had something to do with your irrational fear of them.

The flight attendants went through the safety guidelines as they usually did, but you were hardly paying attention. All you could focus on was the impending take off, which was by far your least favorite part of the whole experience.

It wasn’t until Leon placed his hand on your shoulder and you jumped that you realized how tense you had become.

“You okay?” he asked.

You nodded.

“Just a little nervous, I guess,” you said.

You suddenly felt a bit silly; after all, you’d done this before and been just fine, and he must have done it at least a dozen times in a variety of different aircraft.

You looked up at him, only to be met with concern in his eyes, unlike the judgement that you had irrationally assumed would be there.

He wrapped his arm around your shoulder and pulled you in closer.

“I’ll be here the whole time,” he murmured.

“I should hope so,” you said. “Cause I don’t remember skydiving being on the agenda.”

He shook his head, trying and failing to stifle his laughter.

“What am I gonna do with you?” he said.

“Well, don’t let go of me ‘cause we’re about to take off.” You tensed up again as you heard the engine roar to life and you squeezed your eyes shut. “Tell me when I can open my eyes.”

Every muscle in your body contracted as the plane sped down the runway. It was the sound, you realized, that was the worst part of all, that horrible, rushing sound. It was the sort of sound you imagined you would hear if you were positioned in the middle of a tornado.

And then, your stomach dropped into your feet as you felt the plane take off beneath you, finally putting an end to your misery.

“Okay,” Leon said, giving your shoulder a squeeze. “You can look now.” He paused. “Wow, check out that view.”

“No, I don’t want to.”

“Just for a second.”

Slowly, you eased your left eye open and directed it toward the window. Maybe he did have a point after all, you thought as you began to take in the sight.

You city did look beautiful at night, everything covered in a layer of snow, illuminated by groups of glowing lights.

But it was only a short amount of time before you began to feel nauseous and you turned away, burying your face in Leon’s chest.

“I think that’s enough view for one day,” you said.

He ran his fingers through your hair, giving your head a reassuring pat.

“Try to get some sleep, sweetheart,”  he said. “You’ve had a long day.”

“Tell me about it.” You yawned, stretching your arms out above your head as you returned to an upright position. “I’m gonna do my best.”

You pulled his jacket a little tighter around yourself, then rested your head on his shoulder and closed your eyes.

* * *

 “Hey, wake up. We’re here.”

At first, you felt a little disoriented when you suddenly heard the sound of Leon’s voice breaking the complete silence you’d been experiencing only a moment prior.

You blinked open your eyes, readjusting to your surroundings, which were brightly lit by the overhead lights once again.

So, you’d actually managed to get to sleep after all. Somehow, you didn’t feel at all refreshed.

Leon stood from his seat and extracted your bags from the overhead compartment, handing yours to you, and the two of you made your way back toward the front of the plane.

You had a second flight to catch, so there was no time for you to waste regaining your bearings. The first thing you did when you got inside was to look on the board for your new terminal, which was likely to be a fair distance away.

“You gotta be kidding me,” Leon said.

“What?” you asked.

“Looks like our flight got cancelled.”

No, that couldn’t be right, surely. Your eyes scanned the board, searching for your flight number and, sure enough, he was right.

“I was afraid this might happen,” he continued. “There’s supposed to be a big snow storm tonight.”

“Damn.”

He turned to you and sighed.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I knew I should’ve scheduled it earlier, but I was afraid we wouldn’t make it on time.”

“Hey, it’s not all bad,” you said. “At least now we won’t have to shovel any snow tonight.”

“But we’ll probably have more to shovel when we do get there.”

“It’s a give and take.” The two of you stepped away from the board and took a seat on a nearby bench. “So, what do we do now?”

“We’ll probably just have to stay here,” he replied. “The nearest hotel is pretty far away.”

“You mean, sleep here and everything? Are we even allowed to do that?”

“Yeah. I’ve done it a few times.”

You examined your surroundings for a suitable place to nap, but found none.

“If you say so.”

“It’ll be better than risking being late tomorrow.”

“That does make sense.”

“Come on,” he said, rising from the bench and pulling you up with him by your hand.

“Where are we going?” you asked.

“Closer to our terminal.”

“But it’s all the way on the opposite side!”

“Exactly.”

You sighed and, without missing a beat, knelt down to remove your shoes.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m not walking all that way in these shoes.”

“But, these floors are filthy!”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take to save my ankles.”

You hooked your shoes around the handle of your bag, then took his hand and followed him as he lead the way to the terminal. He would likely have a much easier time finding it than you would with your sense of direction.

This airport was even more empty than the last had been, though you did pass a few other people sleeping on seats and benches, and even the floor, which was something you hoped that you wouldn’t have to do.

One thing that surprised you as you made your way through the various halls was how many of the shops were still open. Another was how hungry the sight of the snacks within them made you. Perhaps it had been longer than you’d thought since you’d eaten.

“Hey.” You tugged on Leon’s sleeve, then pointed in the direction of the shop across from the terminal. “Let’s go get some snacks.”

“I am starting to get pretty hungry,” he said. “And I’m pretty sure all the restaurants are closed by now.”

“All the ones we passed were.”

“Let’s go check it out.”

You walked over to the shop and began to examine their selection of snacks. It was pretty limited, but they had all the basic stuff covered: chips, beef jerky, candy bars.

You looked around a bit more before settling on your usual favorite chips, a diet cola, and a salami sandwich.

“You got everything?” Leon asked, and you nodded.

“This should tide me over for now.”

You took your items to the cashier and paid far too much money for them, then returned to the terminal to get settled in for the long night ahead of you.

You unwrapped your sandwich and took a bite, not expecting much of anything, but still came out disappointed. At least it was better than nothing.

And at least Leon was here to endure this whole situation with you. If he wasn’t, you never would’ve even considered doing anything like this.

As you took a second bite of your sandwich, he turned to you, barely able to suppress a grin.

“What?” you asked, your words muffled by the food that was still in your mouth.

“I propose a toast,” he said.

You swallowed.

“To what?”

“To our new life together, Mrs. Kennedy.”

He lifted his bottle of sparkling water in your direction and you rolled your eyes.

“Always the romantic,” you said, and you lifted your own drink from the floor. “To our new life.” You clinked the two plastic bottles together and each took a short sip from them. “You know, this is never how I imagined my first night of married life to go.”

“What, you mean you didn’t imagine spending the first night of your honeymoon in an empty airport?”

“Not exactly,” you said with a laugh. “I was thinking more candlelit dinners and fancy hotel rooms.” You bit your lip. “And much less clothes, for sure.”

He smiled.

“We’ll have to make that a priority,” he said.

And suddenly your mind was wandering in all sorts of inappropriate directions, most of which involved stripping him of the suit he currently wore, in your warm bed back home, in a 5-star hotel, in the airport bathroom—

Did they put cameras in the bathrooms, too? You weren’t sure if it was worth finding out.

You shook your head, banishing the thought. You were already sleeping in a public place and you weren’t about to entertain carrying out lewd acts on top of that.

You took a long sip of your cola in an attempt to cool your suddenly heated blood.

“But, I hope you’re not disappointed,” he said. “I promise the rest of the trip isn’t gonna be like this.”

“Of course I’m not disappointed,” you said. “This is kinda fun, if I’m being honest.”

“If you think sitting around eating sandwiches is fun, I am gonna blow your mind.”

He suddenly set down his food and sprang to his feet.

“Are you okay?” you asked.

“You remember this song, right?”

You froze, tilting your ear upward in the direction in which you imaged the speaker to be.

And you did recognize it, the overly cheesy romantic song you had related to so well in your youth. It seemed silly now, but you recalled dancing to it at a backyard barbecue shortly after you and Leon had first met. You’d only dragged him there so that your curious friend could finally meet him, but you’d both ended up having a good time regardless.

“Of course I remember,” you said.

“Well?”

He extended his hand toward you and it took you a moment to realize that he was serious.

“Here?” you asked.

“Why not?”

You shrugged. The only person around to judge you was the bored security guard monitoring the cameras and the shop attendant who had barely looked up from whatever mobile game he was playing since you’d arrived.

You took hold of Leon’s hand and rose to your feet, a stupid grin spreading across your face as you fully realized what you’d just agreed to.

“You’re crazy,” you said.

“Crazy for you.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Oh my god, I cannot believe you just said that.”

He drew you in toward his chest and wrapped his arms around you, then began to gently sway back and forth to the beat of the music.

“You walked right into it,” he said.

You closed your eyes and sighed, allowing yourself to relax against him. This was all you truly wanted. You didn’t have any expectations for this trip aside from finally drawing him away from his work so that you could have some quality time alone together. And that was exactly what this was, in an odd sort of way.

He brought his left hand to your lower back, gripping it to better support your weight.

“Are you falling asleep?” he asked.

“Not really,” you replied. You looked up at him and smiled. “I’m just really happy to be here with you.”

“You look exhausted. I gotta find a way to wake you up somehow.”

Without warning, he took hold of one of your hands, spinning you and dipping you frighteningly close to the floor before pulling you back toward him.

Your eyes widened and the entirety of your breath escaped you in one large huff.

Your words failing you, you erupted into a fit of giggles which refused to let up as he whirled you around again, this time holding you close the entire time.

“How was that?” he asked.

“Just like the good old days,” you panted, still not quite able to find your breath.

He continued to lead you in a series of rhythmic steps side-to-side and it took a while of this for you to shake the feeling that he would try some more shenanigans on you.

But, as the song continued to its conclusion, it became apparent to you that he had become quite tired as well, the last of his previously high energy fizzling out as he held you in place, resting his head on your shoulder.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for bed,” you said.

“Me, too,” he said. “The hard work isn’t over yet. We have another busy day ahead of us.”

“Yup.”

A busy day that would hopefully end with the two of you relaxing by the fireplace, each with a cup of hot cocoa in your hands, preferably without the concern of rats skittering around.

You finished up your food, then took the blankets from your carry-on bag, handing one to Leon and keeping the other for yourself. Unfortunately, you’d neglected to bring any sort of pillow with you, not even a neck pillow, so the bags themselves would have to fulfill that roll for now.

You set yours somewhere in the middle of the row of chairs and Leon placed his directly next to it.

It took a little while to get comfortable, finding a way that you could lie on the chairs without any part of them digging into your skin, but you eventually managed.

You wedged your arm between your bag and the seat beneath it, adjusting it is as well so it was at least tolerable to sleep on, then wished Leon goodnight, a gesture he returned to you.

You barely had time to think about how hard the seats were or how bright the lights were as it was only a matter of minutes after you closed your eyes that you managed to drift off to sleep.


	2. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Leon arrive at your first destination, a quaint cabin in the middle of the forest, but it appears the hard work is not over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, sincerest apologies for the long hiatus. This sat in my google docs 2/3 of the way finished way longer than it should have, but I finally got around to finishing it! Gotta keep the winter theme going while it's still winter and all. This may have gotten a bit longer than I intended it to be, but I want to keep each location to one chapter to avoid confusion or dragging the whole thing out too much.
> 
> Inspiration Song: Sia - My Love

If there was one thing you’d learned over the course of the night you’d spent in the airport, it was that the chairs contained within them were not at all comfortable. You woke frequently throughout the night, always with a crick or an unpleasant tingling in at least one part of your body. You were quite sure your back would take a few days to forgive you for what you’d put it through.

And yet, it had paid off, just as Leon said it would. You were able to catch the first flight out, which would finally get you far away from airports, at least for the duration of your stay at the cabin.

All that was left as you landed at your final destination was to retrieve your luggage from the carousel, and then begin the long drive up to the cabin.

“See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Leon asked.

“Speak for yourself,” you said. “My neck is killing me.”

You rode the escalator down to the baggage claim to wait for your suitcases, as if you hadn’t done more than your fair share of waiting already.

Leon’s was easy to spot thanks to the distinctive marker wrapped around the handle, a multicolored headband with a floral design. It was one of yours, handed over to him so that he would always have a small piece of you with him no matter how far away he went.

Yours, on the other hand, was nowhere at all to be seen, even after the carousel had begun its fourth rotation.

“Please, don’t tell me they lost my suitcase,” you groaned. “All my clothes are in there!”

“Wait here,” said Leon, and he walked off toward the other carousels.

You watched as he searched each one, likely in the hopes that your things had simply gotten separated from the others somehow. But he remained unable to locate them, returning only with a sympathetic shake of his head.

“I don’t see it anywhere,” he said.

“Just my luck,” you said, crossing your arms over your chest.

“I’m sure it’ll only take a day or two for them to find it.” He wrapped his arm around you and pulled you in for a reassuring hug. “Come on, let’s go.”

You reported your luggage missing to the airport, then proceeded to the parking garage to retrieve your rental car.

You were not at all prepared for just how biting the winds outside would be. It was fair to say that you’d never been in a place quite so cold before.

You grasped at the edges of your jacket and pulled it closer around yourself, then extracted a pair of (much too large) gloves from the pockets, pulling them on with great haste as to prevent your fingers from being frostbitten.

“So, how far are we going?” you asked, your words occasionally broken up by the chattering of your teeth.

“It shouldn’t be more than an hour drive if the weather stays nice,” he replied.

“You call this nice?”

He chuckled.

“You know what I mean,” he said.

As soon as you got into the car, he cranked up the heat as high as it would go and kept it there until you’d stopped shivering. You were sure your current attire, especially the thin pair of stockings you wore on your legs, did nothing for retaining warmth in your body, but it would be a while until you were able to obtain a proper outfit.

All those sweaters you’d so carefully remembered to pack, all of the fleece-lined jeans, all of the snow pants, possibly far away in another state by now.

But it was hard to remain sulky as cold, grey surroundings of the city began to fall away and were instead replaced by miles and miles of evergreen trees, all of their branches dusted with a heavy cover of snow.

Perhaps the snow could be beautiful after all. It would be even more beautiful once you were able to safely observe it through a window from the nice, warm indoors.

At the end of a particularly long stretch of road, the cabin finally came into view in the exact state you’d feared it would be in. There were at least six inches of snow on the path leading up to the door, and an equal amount on the driveway, forcing Leon to park on the road below.

“You ready for this?” he asked.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” you replied.

The two of you retrieved your bags from the trunk of the car, then carried them all the way up the driveway on foot.

“There should be some shovels right by the door if I remembered to leave them there,” he said.

He pulled a ring of keys from his smaller suitcase and tried a few of the keys on it before he found the one that worked.

He stepped through the door for just a second, then reemerged with two snow shovels in hand.

“Here.” He extended one toward you and you took it. “You think you can handle the sidewalks by yourself?”

“I think so,” you replied.

“I’ll take the driveway.”

You nodded, doing your best to look determined as you did. This was it, the final stretch before you could finally get the relaxation started. Surely you could handle just a little more after getting at least a partial night of sleep.

You grasped the shovel in your hands, rolling your shoulders back a few times as you approached the sidewalk in a vain attempt to loosen some of the tension within them. Once you were as satisfied with your efforts as you could be, you dug into the snow for the first time, disrupting the perfect sheet that had once been there.

The first time of many.

There were a total of three sidewalks that you would have to clear, one leading up from the road, another leading out to the backyard, and yet another leading to a small shed off to the side.

You decided to tackle the one out front first as it was, by far, the longest. It also transitioned into a sharp decline about halfway down, which would prove difficult to navigate in heels. You would have to traverse it carefully if you wished to keep all of your bones intact.

You had to make frequent pauses, leaning on your shovel in order to maintain your balance, but you eventually managed to make it through.

One down, two to go.

The one in the backyard was next, if you were going in order of length, so you climbed back up the path you’d just finished, already completely out of breath by the time you reached the top.

When you had made it a little less than halfway down the second sidewalk, you felt something hit your jacket. At first, you thought some snow had come loose from one of the nearby trees and fallen on you, but then it came again, this time impacting the back of your neck.

You turned to face its direction of origin only to catch Leon in the process of forming a snowball.

You stared at him for a moment, unable to believe what you were seeing, until he hurled it at you and it hit your shoulder with another soft  _ thwap. _

“Hey!” you called out, and he gave you a smile that practically dared you to throw one back.

Who were you to deny his challenge?

You set your shovel aside, then knelt down to form a snowball of your own, chucking it in his general direction.

It missed completely, instead hitting the tree trunk directly behind him.

“Gotta work on that aim,” he teased, prompting you to try again.

He attempted to dodge, but failed as your second snowball made contact with his arm.

“How’s that for aim?” you asked, and he ran off behind the shed, likely attempting reformulate his strategy.

But you weren’t about to give him that chance. You quickly gathered up another snowball and took off after him.

As soon as you saw him, you launched another attack, this one just barely skimming his leg.

Before he had a chance to retaliate, you dashed toward him, throwing your arms around his waist with the intention of knocking him off balance. And you managed to succeed, to your surprise, catching him off guard as he attempted to rearm himself.

He fell backward, his body displacing the snow as it hit the ground, and you came to a stop on top of him, your legs straddling his hips, your fingers splayed out on his chest.

“That’s cheating,” he said.

“There are no rules in snowball combat!” you said.

“Oh, yeah?” He grabbed hold of your wrists and rolled over, taking you with him, flipping you onto your back in the process. “Then, I guess I have to do whatever it takes to win.”

He hovered over you, a soft smile on his face as he stared down at you with a playful glint in his eyes.

You reached up and ruffled his hair with your snow-covered glove, a smile of your own surfacing as you did, followed by a breathless giggle.

Slowly, you drew his face to yours, brushing your nose against his, allowing your lips to meet as he leaned in closer. It may well have been your imagination, but it felt as though his lips were especially soft and warm, dampening the cold that you felt swirling all around you.

For just a moment, you could no longer feel the harsh winds stinging your face or your legs, or the constant sprinkling of snow that fell from the branches that rustled above you.

All you could focus on was Leon, on the softness of his kiss, on the warmth of his body as it hovered just above yours.

You wrapped your arms around him and hugged him tightly to your chest, burying your face in the crook of his neck, taking in the scent of the cold on his jacket along with one that was entirely unique to him.

But, all too soon, he lifted himself off of you, bringing the surrounding chill back to the forefront of your mind.

“As much as I hate to say it, we should get back to work,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

He stood and helped you back to your feet.

“The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can relax.”

“When you’re right, you’re right,” you said, and you went your separate ways, each returning to your agreed upon areas.

* * *

You had managed to work up quite a sweat by the time you’d finished shoveling, so much of a sweat that you’d been forced to remove your jacket and clumsily tie it around your waist.

Leather wasn’t a very flexible material, come to find out.

But, you were done. You were finally done, you realized as you stood by the door to the shed, leaning most of your weight against your shovel as you wiped your forehead with the back of your glove.

“What’s in here, anyway?” you asked Leon as he approached, pointing in the direction of the shed.

“That’s a surprise,” he replied, and the look on his face had you slightly concerned for its contents.

“Okay…” you said.

“But, that’s for later. You ready to head inside?”

“Am I ever.”

He opened the door to the cabin and began to look around inside as though he were searching for an intruder.

“Well, I don’t see any big hairy spiders yet,” he said.

“Yet?”

He turned to you and smiled.

“I’m just teasing.”

He stepped in and you followed after him with the assurance that you likely wouldn’t run into any unsavory critters.

Yet.

The interior of the cabin was dark and a little bit cold, but its temperature was still a marked improvement from the environment outside.

“I’m gonna turn the heat on,” he continued.

“While you do that, I think I’m gonna take a shower,” you said. “‘Cause I feel nasty after all that.”

“I’ll be up to join you in a little bit.”

You gave him a shy smile as you started up the stairs. How was it that he still had the ability to fluster you after all these years? You were beginning to think that the effect would never truly fade.

“What am I gonna do about my clothes?” you asked.

“You don’t need to wear any if you don’t want to.”

You snorted.

“I’m serious. It’s cold in here. I can’t stay naked forever.”

“You can borrow some of mine.”

You decided that this was your best option, even though none of his clothes were likely to fit you very well. It was either that or stay in your dress that was covered in sweat and airport grime.

You went back downstairs to search his suitcase for a suitable, settling on a baby blue t-shirt and a pair of plaid pajama pants. At least the pants had an adjustable tie on them so you could attempt to fit them as best you could.

There was the separate issue of all of your toiletries also being in your suitcase, but you figured that you could share his when he joined you later.

You threw your chosen clothes over your shoulder and headed back up the stairs, eager to be rid of the ones you were currently wearing.

It took you a few tries to find the bedroom, but you eventually did at the very end of the long hallway atop the stairs.

Everything inside was pristine. The sheets were perfectly flat; the pillows were arranged in an orderly line; the carpets were fluffy with not a single stain in sight. Clearly Leon had been exaggerating about the state of disrepair that the cabin had fallen into.

There was even the slight scent of vanilla in the air, possibly from an unseen air freshener.

You sat down onto the bed, which slowly sank to accommodate your weight. It felt heavenly already and you couldn't wait to sleep on it, especially after what you'd endured at the airport.

The first thing to go were your shoes. You had been more than ready to be done with them hours ago, but you couldn’t exactly have shovelled the snow in your bare feet.

You pulled them from your feet and tossed them aside a little harder than you’d meant to, causing them to clatter loudly across the floor to the other side of the room.

You then stood to remove your stockings, which were still soaking wet from your snowball war. Perhaps it hadn’t been the best idea to get down in the snow like that, but it had been worth it, you decided, as you recalled the event with a smile.

Last to go was your dress, the zipper of which was a bit hard to undo with one hand, but you eventually managed with a few careful contortions.

Once all of your clothes had formed a neat pile at your feet, you fell back onto the bed, breathing out a sigh of relief as the soft sheets touched your skin. You suddenly realized that you’d been taking the comforts of modern furniture for granted and figured that now was as good of a time as any to appreciate them as you reached over and hugged one of the pillows to your chest.

You didn’t even acknowledge the fact that Leon had entered the room until he switched on the light, forcing you to lift the pillow to your eyes to shield them from it.

“Sorry,” he said. “I guess I should’ve warned you first.”

You lowered the pillow from your eyes, then slowly opened them, allowing them to adjust to the brightness.

“I guess I can forgive you,” you said.

You rolled onto your stomach, keeping the pillow tucked under your chin as you did.

You felt as though you could have forgiven him for just about anything as you watched him begin to undress. As arresting as he looked in the three piece suit he’d worn to your wedding, you’d been imagining stripping it off him since he put it on the previous morning.

Public sex was never your forte, however, so you’d resisted each time, but the desire never truly went away.

But now, there was nothing truly stopping you. There was no one at all around for miles and, even if there were, they would likely never come close enough to your private dwelling to enter your consideration.

Your heart rate began to pick up as your eyes locked onto his body, drinking in every minute detail of his movements as he removed his jacket. It was a slow, deliberate motion, likely to preserve its wrinkle-free appearance, but in your current state, it appeared as some sort of intricate dance.

Slowly, he turned toward you and, without a moment of hesitation, he balled it up and threw it at you.

You let out a shocked sound that was somewhere between a cough and a laugh.

“Oh my god!” you exclaimed and he laughed, likely at your expense. “I’m gonna get you back one of these days, so you better be ready.”

“You’re gonna have plenty of time to do it.”

Forever, you hoped, or “as long as you both shall live,” as the old saying went.

You straightened out the jacket and drew it to your chest, closing your eyes as you took in its warmth and its familiar scent.

And suddenly, you were transported back to the reception hall as you took your first dance together. It wasn’t at all as awkward as you’d thought it would be; even with so many people watching, it was Leon’s infectious smile that had managed to set you at ease. The more you focused on him, the less you focused on your fears of embarrassing yourself and the more you were able to relax and enjoy the whole thing.

You were never that skilled of a dancer, even after the lessons you’d taken together, but just for that moment, this fact ceased to matter to you.

It wasn’t about showing off to anyone or about having a great video to show the family that you may have at some point in the future. It was about the feeling behind it, a feeling that would likely stick with you for many years to come.

When you opened your eyes again, Leon was standing before you, all of his previous attire discarded, his hand extended toward you.

At first you thought he wanted his jacket back, but instead, he grabbed your hand and lifted you upward.

“Come on,” he murmured. “Let’s go shower.”

He led you out of the bedroom, making sure to switch off the light as he did, then proceeded to guide you back toward the bathroom, the location of which you’d already forgotten even though you’d seen it in passing.

The shower contained within was huge, practically a small room in its own right, with all sorts of knobs and jets that you couldn’t begin to guess at the function of.

But Leon took the lead again, twisting the right combination of knobs to get some warm water flowing.

“How’s the temperature?” he asked, and you eased your hand under the stream of water to check.

It was perfect. Never before had a few drops of warm water felt so welcome on your skin.

“Good,” you said.

You stepped inside and he stepped in after you, sliding the door closed behind him.

You took a few moments to simply allow the water to wash over your body, letting it evaporate every last bit of the cold from your skin. You brushed your hands through your hair, over your arms, down your abdomen, guiding the water there wherever it was needed the most.

You gasped as Leon’s hands joined yours and you shivered, but not from the cold this time, as he ran them down the sides of your waist.

He grasped your hips and drew your body toward his, his lips finding your neck as he wrapped his arms around you.

You gasped again, your hands tangling up in his hair as you leaned back against the shower wall, your legs turned to jelly by this simple gesture.

With one final kiss, he pulled his lips away and turned to face you, a soft smile on his face as he did.

“Turn around,” he said, and you obliged, not entirely sure what he had planned for you next.

You didn’t have to wait long to find out as you saw him reaching for the bottle of shampoo that sat on the rack above you.

He squirted a bit into his hand, filling the entire shower with the scent of mint and pine, then began to work it into your scalp.

It was a relaxing sensation, like being tended to at a hair salon, and you allowed your eyes to close.

Once he had finished, he lowered the shower head from its place and rinsed your hair until every trace of the shampoo was gone.

He then retrieved another bottle, the contents of this one bringing an entirely new scent, of warm cedarwood and jasmine.

With the help of a washcloth, he lathered it all over your body, paying special attention to your chest, you noticed. With one hand, he worked the cloth over your abdomen, while the other cupped your breast, and he gently pinched your nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

Your body bowed to meet his touch, your back arching until your buttocks brushed against his hardened cock, which you felt twitch against you. A smile swept across your face as you began to grind against him, causing his hands to tense, increasing the intensity of his touches.

A heat spread throughout your body as his nails dug into your skin, grasping at you with no particular destination in mind.

He dropped the wash cloth, replacing it with his bare hand as he slid it down your stomach and to your clitoris where it came to rest, painting gentle circles across its surface.

A whimper escaped you and you felt him smile against your neck.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do this,” he purred.

“No longer than I have,” you said. “It’s been agony.”

He hummed his agreement, sending pleasant vibrations across your skin.

“I want you,” you continued. “All the time.”

You turned your head until your lips were touching his and began to kiss him, slowly at first, your fervor syncing up with that of the motion of his hands.

Your lips parted and you drew his tongue into your mouth, allowing it to mesh with yours, taking it in as far as you were able.

You grasped at his hair, at his arms, at his legs, desperate to get him closer, but it was never close enough. You needed more.

As if he’d read your mind, he slipped his fingers inside of you, causing you to break the kiss as you cried out.

Continuing to work your clit with his thumb, he began to thrust his fingers in and out of you, his pace steady and unyielding, maintained by your encouraging vocalizations.

Your legs began to shake and threatened to give out beneath you as you felt your body begin to surrender.

“Stop!” you gasped. “I want to cum with you inside me.”

You were typically not one to voice your desires so boldly, but you always found that it was so much easier to do so when your mind was clouded with lust.

He paused, then removed his fingers and rested his hand against your lower abdomen.

“I’d like that, too,” he said.

His voice was low and thick with arousal, and it sent a tingle through your over-sensitive body. The sensation of the water hitting your body was magnified as your heart hammered in anticipation.

He placed his hands on your hips to steady you and, a moment later, you felt him press against your entrance.

“Please!” you whined.

You felt his breath on your back as he sighed and then, slowly, he sheathed himself within you.

Your eyes fluttered closed as relief coursed through you, radiating out from your core, flowing to each of your limbs. Every last bit of residual cold you’d been feeling melted away; the water got a bit warmer, his skin a bit softer, the floor beneath you a bit smoother.

You reached out and placed your hands against the tile to steady yourself as he began to move, pressing you forward just a bit with each thrust.

Your balance was swiftly escaping you, but he managed to keep you steady, wrapping one arm across your chest and the other around your waist.

When you were confident that you wouldn’t fall, you removed your hands from the wall and leaned back against him, sighing as you did.

Your lips curled into a contented smile as you melted into his touch. This was where you wanted to be, safe and secure in his arms, all concerns of the world as far as they could be from your mind.

You lifted your hands from their previous position at your sides and took hold of his arms, running your fingers along their sharp definition, which became more prominent as the muscles tensed with each thrust.

You could already feel yourself building to your crescendo again and, this time, you welcomed it with open arms, rolling your hips to encourage it to come on faster.

“Shit,” he breathed, and his hold around you tightened, drawing you closer to his chest. “You ready?”

You nodded and he gripped your hips again, thrusting into you with a sudden haste that took you by surprise.

You fell forward, forced to brace yourself back against the tile as the sensation overwhelmed you and you succumbed to your orgasm.

Your mind went numb as it rippled through you, the sounds of the running water fading into the background, your vision growing white even behind your closed eyelids.

And then, your entire body went limp, prompting Leon to pull you back toward him just as he reached his own orgasm.

You could feel his heart pounding against you, his breath against your ear, his cock pulsing inside you, the last of these sending you into a wave of aftershocks that took your breath away.

At last, your body allowed you to relax and you sagged against him, reveling in the feeling of your closeness and of the water cascading over your bodies, which now brought a refreshing coolness to your flushed face.

You turned to him and kissed him a few times before letting your head settle into the crook of his neck.

“That was amazing,” you said, your voice still shaking from the exertion you’d just experienced. “I love you. So much.”

“I love you too, Mrs. Kennedy,” he said, and you couldn’t help but smile as you kissed him again.

Something about hearing those words, your new title, spoken aloud made your heart leap every time.

“I guess we should get back to actually showering, huh?” you said, and he nodded.

“In a little bit,” he said. “For now, I wanna stay right here.”

* * *

You had been feeling plenty relaxed after you’d completed your shower. You’d changed into Leon’s pajamas which, as expected, didn’t fit you in the slightest, then curled up beside him on the (wonderfully soft and comfortable) bed.

So, why was it that you currently found yourself wide awake at one o’clock in the morning? As you’d feared, your mind made no distinction whatsoever between the unfamiliarity of the airport terminal and that of the safe, cozy cabin.

You tried a few things, using your blanket to block the tiny amount of light that was coming through the curtains, turning this way and that to see if one position was more comfortable than the other, even counting backwards from ten a few times, but none of these things seemed to make a dent in how awake you felt.

You sighed and tossed your blankets aside, accepting that you likely wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep for quite some time.

You turned back to check if Leon was still sleeping only to find that he was no longer beside you at all. So, you weren’t the only one having trouble sleeping, it seemed.

You threw your legs over the side of the bed and stood, taking a few moments to stretch before you ventured out into the hallway to look for him.

You had planned to search the rooms one-by-one in an attempt to find him, but this proved unnecessary as your eyes were immediately drawn to the lit fireplace on the floor below.

You descended the stairs, taking them one at a time so that you wouldn't fall in the darkness, and went to join Leon in the living room. 

He didn’t seem to notice you as you approached, so you reached over the back of the couch and placed your hands on his shoulders, giving each of them a gentle rub.

He jumped, his body jolting forward out of your reach as he turned back to face you with a startled expression on his face.

“I’m sorry,” you said, holding your hands up with a startled expression of your own. “I should’ve said something.”

He shook his head, then motioned for you to have a seat on the couch beside him.

“No, it’s not your fault,” he said.

“So, you couldn’t sleep either, huh?” you asked as you took the seat beside him.

“Nope,” he replied. “Bad dreams. You?”

“You know I can’t sleep in a new place.”

You turned to look at him, still feeling a little guilty about startling him, and he offered you a sleepy smile.

“Well, you better get used to it with all the new places we’re going.” He put his arms around you and drew you to his chest. “I promise they won’t all be like this. At least, not if I can help it.”

“I’m really not upset. I’ve been having a great time so far.”

“Good.”

He turned back toward the fireplace and went silent, his expression becoming unreadable.

“What were you dreaming about?” you asked, breaking the silence a few moments later.

“The usual,” he replied. “I was being controlled and I couldn’t stop myself from hurting you.” You placed your hand on his back and began to trace small circles with your fingers. “But, it was just a dream, right?”

“Right,” you replied. “I’m right here, safe and sound. Maybe a little sore from earlier.” This remark earned you a laugh, a welcome sound that cut through the rising tension. “And hungry. I don’t suppose we have any food.”

He shook his head.

“I was thinking we could head into town to pick up some groceries tomorrow morning,” he said. “But, seeing as we’re both up now…”

“But the grocery stores around here can’t possibly be open at this hour, right?” you asked.

“No, but there’s a diner I know of that’s open until three. So, how ‘bout it?”

While you weren’t sure if you wanted to venture back out into the cold, you had grown quite hungry, so perhaps this was a burden you were willing to bear.

“Alright,” you said.

Having gained your approval to go ahead with his plan, Leon stood up from the couch and walked toward the door, pausing by it for a moment to search the rack of keys that sat beside it.

“I think it’s about time I showed you what’s in that shed,” he said.

Right, the shed. You’d completely forgotten about it and suddenly, your curiosity came roaring back to you.

“Come on.”

He put on his coat and motioned toward the door, which was now open just a crack, allowing the cold winds inside.

You grabbed your coat as well from its place stationed on the rack beside his, then took off after him.

The cold was even more biting than you remembered. Whether this was due to your tiredness or the fact that the sun had gone down quite some time ago, you couldn’t be sure.

“Another thing of mine I’ve never really had a chance to use,” Leon said as he made his way toward the shed. “But I’m definitely glad I have it now.”

He turned the key in the lock on the shed door, then, after a few failed attempts, shoved it open, revealing the vague shadow of what appeared to be some sort of vehicle inside.

“What do you think?” he asked.

He turned on the shed’s overhead light, revealing the shadowy form to be a snowmobile.

“Uh.” You examined for a moment, doing your best not to catastrophize your impending ride on it. “I mean, I’ve never been on one of these before.”

“I have a few times,” he said. “I promise it’s not as scary as you think. Just think of it like a car on skis.”

Your eyes widened in response to the mental image that popped into your mind.

“That sounds terrifying.”

“Like a jet ski on land, then.”

You shrugged. You weren’t exactly fond of jet skis either, but if you were going to trust anyone with your safety on a motorized vehicle, it would be Leon.

“So, how far is this place?” you asked.

“About three miles,” he replied. “It shouldn’t take us too long to get there.”

He sat down onto the snowmobile seat and motioned for you to do the same as he began to fiddle with the key ring again.

“I think this is the right one.”

He selected one of the keys and pushed it into the ignition, then gave it an experimental turn. The engine started right away, to your surprise, and before you were anywhere near ready for it, the snowmobile jolted forward and took off toward the trail below.

“Hold on tight!” Leon called out, and you could barely hear him over the roaring sounds of the engine.

You wrapped your arms around his waist and squeezed your eyes shut, which is how they would remain for the majority of the ride.

You took the occasional peek at your surroundings only to close your eyes again at the sight of the treeline whipping past you.

How could it possibly be safe for a vehicle with no top to go so fast? In your mind, it was a miracle that the two of you hadn’t crashed into anything yet.

But you were certain, as you thought about it for more than a panicked second, that Leon’s expert handling skills had more to do with it than anything else. And besides, he’d never knowingly put you in danger. If he thought for a second that an activity he wanted to take part in would harm you, he would never go through with it. You were just being silly.

And so, you opened your eyes just in time to see a small village coming into view in the distance. It was sparsely lit with a few lamps strung between the snow covered power lines, but aside from that, the beauty of the winter night was undisturbed.

The snowmobile began to slow, much to your relief, and Leon pulled it into a small dirt patch nearby, which contained a number of other snow-safe vehicles, a parking lot of sorts.

He then turned back to face you and smiled.

“You alright back there?” he asked.

“In one piece,” you replied. “Riding on this thing is something I’ll have to get used to.”

“I’ll have to teach you how to drive it one of these days.”

“Hell no! I agreed to ride on it, but that’s where I draw the line.”

“Well, let me know if you change your mind.”

And perhaps you would, one day. But today was not that day.

The two of you climbed off the snowmobile and Leon began leading you to one of the small buildings nearby, with a hanging sign above the door that read “Lynn’s Eatery.”

As soon as you stepped inside, you were met by the voice of a woman coming from somewhere behind the counter that said, “Just a minute!”

Moments later, the owner of the voice emerged, an older woman with short, curly hair, clad with a white and red striped apron.

“Welcome!” she said. “Haven’t seen you in here in a while.”

“I’ve been busy,” Leon said.

“And, who’s this pretty little lady?”

“This is my wife.”

Your heart soared as he said this. You still weren’t used to being referred to this way and you accepted that it would likely be some time before you got used to it.

“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you in person. He’s been telling me all about you every chance he gets.”

“I can’t deny that,” Leon said.

Your face flushed.

“What can I get for you guys this evening?” she asked.

“How about some coffee to start us off,” Leon replied. “It’s freezing out there.”

“Alright, two coffees coming right up.”

She disappeared behind the counter once more and you and Leon each took one of the stools stationed in front of it.

Just above the counter was a menu lit with a backlight that was surprisingly extensive for such a small restaurant.

“What should I get?” you asked.

“You can’t really go wrong with anything on here,” he replied.

“Well, what do you usually get?”

“The mushroom burger. Every time I come in here I tell myself I’ll try something new, but I always end up getting the same thing. So, why don’t you get that and I’ll try something else?”

“So you can steal some off my plate?”

A small smile spread across his lips, and you had your answer.

“I think I’ll try the club sandwich this time,” he said after a few moments of deliberation.

The waitress returned a few moments later with your coffees, then took your orders and returned to the kitchen to prepare them.

“I’m so glad I finally got to take you to this place,” Leon said. “It’s one of my favorite restaurants, if you can believe that.”

“Yeah, it’s nice,” you said. “Very homely.”

“It’s no gourmet restaurant, but-”

You shook your head.

“It’s perfect,” you said. “I’d think it was perfect even if we were sitting by the fireplace heating up cans of beans, or something.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment.

“You really mean that?” he asked.

“Of course. No matter what we do, I’m happy. As long as you’re here with me.”

He reached out and grabbed your hand, giving it a firm squeeze.

“That means a lot to me,” he said.

* * *

The food you’d had at the diner was excellent, just as Leon had said it was. It was all made in-house and had a homemade flavor unlike anything you’d ever had at a restaurant. You were sure you would find yourself craving it at odd intervals when you had no chance at all of going back to get more.

A small part of you wished you’ve could continued your exploration of the village, to see what other unique wonders awaited you there. But by the time you returned to the cabin, you were positively exhausted from a combination of a lack of sleep, the satisfaction of the good meal you’d just eaten, and of the comfort you felt in your now familiar surroundings.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for bed,” you said as you stepped inside.

Leon answered your declaration with a yawn, which signaled to you that he was tired as well.

“Come on.”

You motioned for him to follow you up the stairs and he did without a moment of hesitation, taking hold of your hand and walking up beside you, not letting it go until you reached the bedroom door.

“Hopefully we can actually get some sleep now,” he said.

And you nodded, the motion lacking the appropriate amount of enthusiasm for the prospect.

As soon as the bed was in your sight, you tossed your jacket aside and flopped down onto it, nestling yourself beneath the messy pile of blankets that covered its surface. The last thing you remembered was Leon wrapping his arm around you and whispering, “Goodnight, my love,” as you drifted off to sleep.


End file.
